Precision components primarily used in automobile parts, aircraft parts, and the like are worked with precision and high accuracy primarily by means of numerically controlled lathes, numerically controlled milling machines, machining centers, robots, special purpose machines, and other automatic machines, using end mills, drills, dies, taps, grindstones, and other tools. However, after these precision machines have worked, burrs, work marks, tool marks, or the like are always present, so post-working is required to remove these. Such post-working tools conventionally involve the use of nylon brushes with abrasive grain, brass brushes, wire brushes, shot blasts, barrels, paper, and the like. Much of the final finishing process further involves manual work.
However, nylon brushes with abrasive grains, brass brushes, wire brushes, shot blasts, barrels, paper, or the like, used in conventional working have drawbacks in that removal efficiency of these burrs, work marks, and the like, and the polishing efficiency is poor. Conventional post-working tools have poor working accuracy, and have drawbacks in that burrs, work marks, and the like are left, and there is great variation in the manufacturing quality after working.
In the particular case of deburring that involves precision components, it is possible that defective operation of sliding portions, blockage of hydraulic pathways, shorting of electrical circuits, oil leaks, and other critical flaws will result if parts that have burrs left behind or that have variation in manufacturing quality after burr removal are assembled into an apparatus.
In conventional practice, therefore, burrs are primarily removed from precision components by hand in a separate step away from the automated line, total inspection is performed thereafter, and it is therefore difficult to automate burr removal.